Salmonellosis remains an important human and animal problem worldwide. In spite of intensive research efforts, many of the details of its pathogenesis are not known. Despite a lack of precise knowledge on the virulence mechanisms of Salmonella, vaccines of varying efficacy have been used for many years (Wray, 1995). Lax, et al (1995) have reviewed the efficiency of different vaccines against salmonellosis. According to them, the efficacy of both live attenuated and dead vaccines remains unclear. Since vaccines developed so far have not been targeted against the virulence factor(s) playing a key role in the pathogenesis of the disease, they may not have for this reason been optimally effective. Moreover, their efficacy have been limited to homologous or antigenically related serovars as Salmonella serovars differ significantly in their flagellar and somatic antigens.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,053,036 also describes a bacterial vaccine against Salmonella fevers, typhoid and paratyphoid fevers. The said vaccine is obtained by fermentation, extraction and purification, vaccinating membrane antigens being extracted by putting the bacterial residue obtained by centrifuging, in contact with a solvent of the tris(hydroxyalkyl) aminoalkane class, with stirring at lower temperature, pH adjusted between 8.4 and 8.6 for a period of at least 60 hours, then separated by decanting, followed by purifying the antigens and fractionating by ultra-filtration and then freeze drying the vaccinating antigen fraction. This patent does not disclose the nature of antigen and whether it has got any role in the pathogenesis of salmonellosis.
International application no. WO 91/06317, filed on 2nd November 1990, discloses vaccines for treatment of individuals for infections by gram negative bacteria. The vaccine consists of a live avirulent Salmonella, which is able to induce immunity to homologous and hetrogenous Salmonella serotypes and two other gram negative bacteria. The vaccine described in the international application has limited use in respect of heterologous Salmonella serotypes and is not targeted against the main virulence factor (toxins).
International application no. WO 97/18225, filed on 14th November 1996, describes substantially pure Salmonella secreted proteins (Ssp), the secretion of which is dependent upon the expression of PrgH; methods of diagnosing Salmonella infection; and live attenuated vaccine strains in which Ssp secretion is decreased. This vaccine also has limited use in respect of heterologous Salmonella serotypes and is not targeted against the main virulence factor (toxins).
The vaccine described in international application nos. WO91/06317 and WO 97/18225 have been prepared using bacterial cells and not from their toxins which play significant role in the pathogenesis of the disease.
Recently, four distinct cytotoxins and an enterotoxin have been isolated from a single strain of Salmonella enterica subsp enterica ser Weltevreden (S.Weltevreden) purified to homogeneity and well characterized. These toxins in concert induced clinical changes in experimental animals similar to that observed in natural cases of Salmonellosis suggesting a major role for these toxins in the pathogenesis of the disease. These toxins lost their toxicity on formalin and carbonate treatments but retained their immunogenicity. Singh and Sharma (1999), have published the above findings in Zent. bl. Bakteriol (International Journal of Medical Microbiology).
The object of this invention is to prepare a safe and potent Salmonella vaccine for protection of poultry against salmonellosis.
To achieve the said objective this invention provides a process for the preparation of a vaccine from enterotoxin and cytotoxins isolated from Salmonella sps. for protection against Salmonellosis in poultry, comprising:
treating the said toxins with formalin in the pre-determined ratio depending upon the concentration of the formalin and incubating for 40-50 hours at 35-38xc2x0 C. temperature,
removing formalin by dialysis against phosphate buffer saline (PBS),
concentrating the formalized toxoid by dialysing against polyethylene glycol, and
adding immuno-potentiator selected from Freund""s complete adjuvant (FCA) or Vitamin E or Saponin, to said concentrated formalized toxoids to get the desired vaccine.
The said enterotoxin and cytotoxins is isolated from a single strain of S.Weltevreden, S. typhimrium and S. gallinarum. 
The said enterotoxin and cytotoxins is isolated from a single strain of S.Weltevreden.
The concentration of formalin is 0.1-0.25%, preferably 0.2%.
The ratio of the concentration of formalin with toxin is 1:1
The pH concentration of phosphate buffer saline (PBS) is 7.4.
The said polyethylene glycol is 30% polyethylene glycol-20,000.
The concentration of said formalized toxoid is 0.1 mg/ml.
The amount of said FCA is 0.5-1 ml of the said concentrated toxoid, preferably 1 ml/ml.
The amount of said vitamin E is 90-110 international units (IU) of the said concentrated toxoid, preferably 100 IU/ml.
The amount of said saponin is 50-150 xcexcg of the said concentrated toxoid.
The amount of said saponin is preferably 100 xcexcg of the said concentrated toxoid.
The present invention also provides a Salmonella vaccine whenever prepared by above process for protection against Salmonellosis in poultry, wherein said vaccine affords protection against homologous (S.Weltevreden) as well as against heterologous (S. typhimrium and S. gallinarum) serovars.